1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for issuing credit cards to customers for use in selling goods and services (hereinafter collectively referred to as "goods"), and more particularly to a system for checking the validity of credit cards when they are issued and used so as to prevent credit cards from being issued and used illegally.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, it is very popular for customers to pay for goods with credit. Generally, there are two types of payment available, i.e., payment by single-purchase sales credit and payment with a credit card. According to the former payment method, each time a person buys goods at a retail store, he fills out an application form to apply for payment by sales credit with a credit company or credit control division of the same company (hereinafter referred to as a "credit company") through the retail store. After the credit company checks the credibility of the purchaser, the credit company gives the retail store a membership number indicating that the application has been accepted. The retail store then accepts the payment by sales credit. This payment method requires that each application for payment by single-purchase sales credit be accepted by the credit company. Therefore, the credit company controls every sales contract based on payment by sales credit, is free of multiple debts and credit collection failures in credit sales, and can entrust retail stores with the preparation of filled-out applications. Purchasers can acquire the goods almost at the same time they apply for payment by sales credit, and carry back the goods from the retail store. Consequently, this payment method requires no preparatory period in advance and is immediately available for customers and retail stores, and effective to promote sales.
According to the payment method using a credit card, the user needs to obtain a credit card before he buys goods with the credit card. Specifically, the user sends an filled-out application form to a credit company either directly or via a retail store, and the credit company then checks the application. Since no such information is available at the time the credit company issues a credit card as about goods which the user is going to buy and the amount of money which the user is going to pay, the credit company usually sets a credit limit for the user, and issues a credit card with a notice of the credit limit to the user. After having received the credit card, the user can purchase goods with the credit card simply by signing a slip insofar as the amount of money which the user is going to pay for the purchased goods is less than the credit limit.
Although the former payment method provides credit on the spot, as described above, it requires a complex process which the user and the retail store have to follow because the user has to apply for payment by sales credit each time he buys goods with credits. For example, when a person buys different goods on different floors of a department store, he has to apply for payment by single-purchase sales credit each time he buys goods on each floor.
The latter payment method requires the credit company to carry out an investigation procedure including detailed credibility check because the credit limit cannot fully be checked each time the user purchases goods with the credit card. It takes a relatively long period of time before a requested credit card is issued to a customer because of the time and efforts needed to prepare and mail the credit card to the customer. To solve this problem, attempts have been made to issue a credit card immediately on site. However, such an approach also has problems because a certain number of unissued credit cards need to be in stock at the credit card issuing desk, and a person from the credit company, rather than the retail store, is required to directly handle the issuance of credit cards in order to avoid the risk of illegal issuance of credit cards and illegal use of missing credit cards.
As described above, the former payment method is not suitable for repeated use because an application is required each time it is relied upon, but is advantageous in that safety in credit sales is high and retail stores can be entrusted with the preparation of filled-out applications. The latter payment method is suitable for repeated use as no application is required each time it is relied upon, but is disadvantageous in that credit cards cannot immediately be issued when requested by users. The attempted process of immediately issuing credit cards on site has not been widespread because retail stores could not be entrusted with the issuance of credit cards due to possible illegal issuance and use of credit cards.